


roses red and violets blue

by crimsonrosepetals



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Brief mentions and implications of all other usual Haikyuu ships, Confessions, Getting Together, I took some things and ran with them, I'm Sorry, M/M, Obligatory hanahaki fic, Out of character characters, Pre-Slash, Unbeta'd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25311604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonrosepetals/pseuds/crimsonrosepetals
Summary: In the end, it was inevitable that certain members of the Karasuno volleyball team would eventually contract the disease, what with almost everyone harboring feelings for each other that they weren't all that sure were going to be returned.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 120





	roses red and violets blue

**Author's Note:**

> I own no one and nothing.
> 
> I honestly wanted this fic to be crack. But then it became weirdly serious. So now it's serious crack?

When the first few cases of Hanahaki Disease started occurring in Miyagi, half a year after it was first reported in Tokyo, an emergency assembly was called in Karasuno High School, resulting in the cancellation of volleyball practice one Monday afternoon.

In the assembly, their teachers explained that Hanahaki Disease is a sickness born from a love that is "perceived or believed to be unrequited or unreturned. It is a slow, painful affliction in which flowers grow in the affected person's lungs. It usually begins with the person coughing up smaller versions of the flower petals; and grows in severity, with the petals enlarging, causing grave damage to the victim's lungs, trachea, and throat. In the final stages, the afflicted may regurgitate whole flowers. It is fatal if left untreated; and the surgery to remove the growth from one's lungs is risky and expensive."

"However," they continued, "the treatment is actually quite simple. At first, it was thought that Hanahaki is cured only by one's affections being accepted and returned by the person whom they love. But recent studies have shown that it is the act of confession that is the real remedy. Whether the other person accepts or rejects the admission of feelings, the disease goes away."

'As if it were that easy to just confess; and as if it were that easy to accept being spurned by the object of one's affections.' Yamaguchi thought at that, risking a glace to the right where Tsukishima was sat; no doubt already bored, and wishing he could be listening to music instead of his teachers droning on and on; or better yet, already be on his way home.

As if Tsukki would ever have to deal with something like a love disease.

Ridiculous. 

The assembly ended with the loudest buzz of conversation from the members of the audience. It was all the students could talk about for days after; but eventually, all things went back to normal.

That was all the bearing the disease had on the boys of the Karasuno volleyball team at the time.

Then they heard of cases springing up in the schools they've fought against. In Wakutani, and in Kakugawa.

In Seijoh.

And one day, Hinata tells them during a break after spiking practice that Kenma, his Nekoma friend, messaged that they were cancelling club activities that day because Lev had started coughing up flowers.

Yamaguchi hears Noya and Tanaka exclaim in surprise at Hinata's news, and Kageyama warning Hinata not to get distracted in the middle of training, and wonders if he should worry.

Tsukishima presses a face towel, and a water bottle into his hands, before taking a swig of his own drink. Tadashi watches the long, pale expanse of Kei's throat bob as he swallows.

The brown haired boy coughs once, throat dry, but empty; he takes a drink too.

~~Yes; it seems that he should.~~

\- - - - - - -

They start hearing whispers about students retching in the bathroom a week and a half after the assembly.

Yachi mentions seeing yellow flower petals by the sink when she went to wash her hands before lunch.

Another one of their classmates hands Yamaguchi a note to give to Tsukki in the hopes that it'll help lessen their coughing.

It seemed that the Hanahaki had come to Karasuno.

On Thursday, all the homeroom classes were devoted to reminding the students about the background of the disease, answering questions, and dispelling common misconceptions.

"It isn't true that the surgery removes a person's feelings, or memories of their loved one."

"Mild attractions and small crushes don't trigger the disease. There has to be a depth of feeling."

"Again, the disease occurs when something thinks that the person they love doesn't feel the same way. It's not an indication that their feelings aren't returned. They may be; then again, they may not."

The girl two seats diagonally across Yamaguchi asks "Does it have to be a verbal confession? Do we have to walk up to the people we love and say the words?"

"Not necessarily." Miyamizu-sensei replies. "There have been reports of people getting better after having written letters to their objects of affection."

"What about sending them a love song? Or singing to them?" the boy behind Tadashi raises.

Miyamizu-sensei shakes her head. "The confession has to be in the person's own words."

Yamaguchi hears an irritated "tsk" from somewhere to his left, and he turns; trying to look for who made the sound, but his eyes zero in automatically on Tsukki instead, crossing something out in his notebook. He sighs quietly, then turns his gaze back to their homeroom teacher.

~~Had he just waited for a second longer, he would have seen golden-brown eyes flicker up to him before glancing back down at the songs he scratched off.~~

\- - - - - - -

Takeda-sensei is quiet during practice the next Tuesday. 

One of the boys in his class had been rushed to the hospital the night before.

Coach Ukai lays a hand comfortingly on his knee, squeezing it once, before standing up and announcing that they would be working on their serves.

Yamaguchi's float serves have gotten much more reliable; his regular ones need more work though. More power, more control, more everything. If he were to make sure that the other first years don't end up leaving him behind even further than he had already been left, he had to hone every attack he could make with his spear.

Nearing the end of an hour, one of his serves actually makes it past Nishinoya-senpai. Yachi and his upperclassmen who had borne witness to it crowd him in support, pat him on the shoulder, and offer quick words of 'congratulations; keep it up; one more time'. 

~~Due to this, the pinch server misses the way the blond middle blocker's lips twitch to keep from smiling; but both Daichi-senpai and Suga-senpai catch the way Tsukishima pushes his glasses further up to cover the bit of pride that makes its way into his eyes.~~

On the way home from practice that same day, a few blocks away from the corner where they usually part ways, Tsukki stops.

"Tadashi," he says, catching the younger boy off-guard. "I need you to promise me something."

"What is it, Tsukki?"

"Promise me that if ever you get it, you'll confess."

There is a long, long pause that spans three of Yamaguchi's heartbeats. He hears each one thunder in his ears.

He shuts his mouth before he even realizes that it had fallen agape, and blinks his wide-eyed shock away. Hazel-gray eyes look for something in the taller boy's sight; something that would indicate that he's been made; that Tsukki knows. But the golden-brown stare, though sharp, does not accuse.

Slowly, Yamaguchi nods. "I promise. But only if you do too."

There's a shorter pause than the one before, between two heartbeats, before Tsukishima agrees; and they continue to walk home. Somewhere along the way, they end up pressed lightly against each other, but neither of them makes a move to draw apart. Their shoulders bump together, the backs of their hands brush. Tsukishima ends up walking him all the way home.

"Goodnight, Tadashi." Tsukki mumbles quietly, gaze averted. It makes the smaller boy's stomach flip not-unpleasantly.

He feels a blush creeping lightly over his freckles as he answers, just as softly, "Goodnight, Kei."

Still, there is nothing in his throat.

\- - - - - - -

The next day, Takeda-sensei informs them that the boy from his homeroom will be undergoing surgery that afternoon. Impresses upon them that the surgery is dangerous; and while the patient may live, the disease would have already damaged their lungs to the point where they'll be suffering complications for a long time after. He insists once again that if any of them ever develop the illness or start feeling the symptoms, they shouldn't let them worsen.

"It would be a terrifying thing," he says, "to put everything on the line, and tell the person you love that you love them. Especially when you think that they couldn't possibly feel the same way. But that's what the disease feeds on: the fear of not knowing for sure. At least, if you to admit your feelings, you would get a definite answer. And whatever that answer may be, you would have time to figure out what happens next."

At some point, Yamaguchi wonders if their teacher isn't just talking to them, or about them.

~~Takeda-sensei drops by Sakanoshita Store for the first time since Ukai-kun agreed to be Karasuno's permanent coach; but takes too long to come in by himself. Keishin, who had noticed him hanging around by the window the second he arrived, gets tired of waiting and eventually just drags him inside and to the back where they can talk.~~

\- - - - - - -

Friday sees the first years sitting together in class 5 at lunch somehow.

(That is to say: Yachi invited Hinata and Yamaguchi to eat with her; Kageyama was looking for Hinata and ended up joining; and Tsukishima, contrary to popular belief, doesn't actually stand a chance against his best friend.)

Nearing the end of the break, conversation turns to the topic of the Hanahaki disease that had been plaguing them recently. 

"What would you do," Yachi asks, brown eyes staring intently at her bento, "if your friend gets it, and confesses to you? But you don't feel the same way?"

After swallowing down a mouth-full of pork bun, Hinata says, with conviction "I'd still be friends with that person. And I'd be happy they confessed; even if I had to turn them down. I wouldn't want any of my friends to keep it a secret or stay sick because they'd be too scared that I'd be mad, or stop being their friend, or something."

Kageyama makes a sound that sounds like an agreement from around the straw of his milk carton.

Their manager-in-training thinks for a second, then nods. "Yeah. I guess I would too."

Hinata and Yamaguchi grin at her, and she smiles back joyfully, seeming to have made her mind up about something.

They start packing away, and make their way back to their respective classrooms. As they walk, Yamaguchi elbows Tsukishima lightly in his side. "Penny for your thoughts, Tsukki?"

The blond makes a scoffy little sound that Yamaguchi has always thought sounded cute because he's a little hopeless that way. But the older boy does deign to reply. "I think it's pathetic to lose a friendship - especially a good one - over this ridiculous disease."

The brunet frowns a little at that. "I don't think that's fair, Tsukki. If it were me...I think it would be hard for me to stay friends with someone who had broken my heart."

"No, I meant," Kei meets Yamaguchi's eyes for one second, before turning away. His voice is strained as he continues, "if the person who rejects the confession is the one with the gall to end the friendship, then that's. It wouldn't be...right." He clears his throat. "I wouldn't, if it were me. I'd find a way to stay friends."

Tadashi thinks that maybe a sort of understanding has passed between them. "Well, of course not." he says. He does his best to hide his grin, but he's pretty sure it colors his words all the same. "You aren't pathetic. At least you haven't been; not since training camp."

Yamaguchi doesn't see it, but he knows Kei rolls his eyes up to the highest heavens at that. He does notice the slightest tension in his best friend's shoulder fade, though. "Shut up, Yamaguchi."

"Sorry, Tsukki."

\- - - - - - -

In the end, it was inevitable that certain members of the Karasuno volleyball team would eventually contract the disease, what with almost everyone harboring feelings for each other that they weren't all that sure were going to be returned.

(Save for Suga and Daichi, who had been together since the latter half of their second year, but we digress.)

After returning one of Tanaka's serves with another one of his Rolling Thunders, Noya-san doubles over and starts coughing out small, white edelweiss. Needless to say, it stops everyone in their tracks.

Thankfully, the fit doesn't last long. And Nishinoya, being who he is, knows exactly how to handle the problem that had suddenly arisen. He stands, brushes off his knees, clears his throat, makes a beeline straight to the team's ace. Asahi's eyes widen at his approach. He senses, rather than sees, Daichi and Suga closing ranks beside him; possibly to keep him from running away. Not that he was going to.

"Asahi-san," the libero says firmly, with every ounce of self-assurance in his frame; standing ten feet tall despite his short stature. "I've had feelings for you since before you left last March; and though I thought I'd let them go when you did, it turns out I hadn't. I had only buried them. And they've gotten stronger again over time." 

Noya bows low, from his waist. "Please don't think you need to respond right now; it is enough that I am able to tell you. I wish I had, sooner, without this sickness forcing my hand, but I'm telling you now." After which, he turns around and heads back to the second year group of members, head held high, and grin blindingly bright.

"Oi, Noya, wait!" Daichi tries to call him back, but Asahi raises a hand, and shakes his head, smiling.

"Ii, Daichi," he says; tone shy, but pleased. "I'll talk to him later."

Meanwhile, upon Nishinoya's return to their group, Tanaka greets him with "Noya-san, you're so cool! I thought you were going to head to Kiyoko-san, though."

"Nah, Ryu," the libero gives his friend a cheerful thumbs up. "She's all yours."

~~Shimizu isn't. Not since she replied to Yachi's letter.~~

~~Don't worry too much about Tanaka though. He'll receive his own letter too, soon enough. Chikara just has to slip it into his bag.~~

\- - - - -

The illness hits Kageyama next. After another successful one of his and Hinata's minus tempo quicks, he starts coughing too. Small, bright sunflowers; trite, but quintessential.

Everyone is less taken aback, this time. There was no doubting how the scene was going to unfold.

The setter approaches the ginger-haired spiker with an expression on his face more fitting to announce the start of a war than anything else. The smaller boy stands his ground, apprehensive, but ready.

"Oi. You." Kageyama grits his teeth, and balls his fists, but his face is the loveliest shade of red. "Hinata-boke, I...I-!" 

The other boy takes pity on him. "Yeah. Me too. For you."

They hold each other's gaze for a second, then nod, as though coming to an agreement. "Okay."

"Don't think this means I'm going to stop trying to beat you."

"Of course not."

~~Kageyama has another coughing fit after practice, because he technically didn't say the words. No petals come out this time, but Takeda-sensei makes them promise to say things properly on the way home anyway, or else he'll be cancelling practice the next day. Needless to say, this got the freak duo talking well enough.~~

\- - - - - - -

After that incident, weeks pass, and all things eventually go back to normal. Save for the new development that nearly everyone on the team has now entered a relationship with someone else from the team.

Yamaguchi thinks it's a happy enough ending.

He didn't have to worry about anything after all. Whatever it is he feels for Tsukki can be left alone.

Then on Saturday evening, from out of nowhere, Yamaguchi, while hanging out at the Tsukishima's and watching a documentary on monitor lizards, with his head pillowed on Tsukki's shoulder, suddenly needs to run to the bathroom.

He finds himself coughing for five straight minutes, scattering white gardenia petals all over the sink. Belatedly, he realizes that Tsukishima had followed him, and at some point had begun stroking soothing circles around the area between his shoulder blades.

When it's finally over, the blond wordlessly helps the younger boy back to his room, sits him down on the bed, and gets him a glass of water. Tsukishima hands it to brunet, sits at his side, and waits for him to finish the whole glass before speaking.

"...you promised." The tone is unfamiliar. Though there are undercurrents of sentiments that Tadashi thinks he recognizes; fear, betrayal, maybe a little bit of hope, but that might just be wishful thinking though.

In any case, Yamaguchi nods. "I did. And I plan to make good on my promise." 

"But you just -"

"That was the first time."

"Oh." Kei fiddles with his fingers. "Still. You should...go. Confess. To whoever it is. As soon as you can."

"...yeah. I know."

"...okay." But Yamaguchi makes no other move than to adjust their positions to what they had been before. Tsukishima gets his laptop once agan, and they continue watching the documentary on Tsukki's laptop. Legs pressed against each other, shoulder to shoulder; hands brushing; Yamaguchi's head pillowed on Tsukki's shoulder.

Ten minutes pass, then Yamaguchi reaches out and takes Tsukishima's hand. Kei squeezes Tadashi's in return.

"Tsukki. I have to tell you something."

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I was/am tired of Covid-19, and I'm tired of 2020, and I'm tired of my country, and of my fucking government. 
> 
> Therefore, my apologies for *waves hand at above fic* all of that.
> 
> But thank you for your time and your having read this anyway :)


End file.
